Four Common Travel Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

You also have your guidebook, spare underwear and even an inflatable neck pillow with you , but it is very well planned.
How will you deal with sudden disasters that ruin your trip? Of course, the way to prevent possible disasters is not to forget them. If your passport is stolen or you break your leg in Costa Rica, being adequately prepared can ease your pain somewhat.
Save or write down this guide somewhere you can easily access it so you can deal with small or big disasters on your next trip . Before you leave, make sure you follow the appropriate steps to prevent any disasters that may happen during your trip, such as labeling your luggage and including a photocopy of your birth certificate in your bag. If the worst happens to you, knowing what to do can save you both money, time, and even save your trip from ending in disaster.

travel bug

Lost Passport

A traveller's worst nightmare: opening your wallet , purse or money belt and seeing your passport disappear. You may never know what happened to your little burgundy or green friend, whether stolen or lost, but your reaction should be the same: take action now! Yes, there is a small chance that when you go back to your hotel room, your passport may be lying under the bed. So go back to your hotel as soon as possible and search your room thoroughly, and as the next step, contact the embassy.

What to do:

Contact the police first and then your embassy. In order to go back home, you need to meet the embassy face to face as they will issue you with a valid temporary passport in case of emergency. The emergency passport is only valid for a short time and you must apply for a new passport when you return home.

Before leaving home, take with you the necessary documents listed below for an emergency passport . If you have not taken everything you need with you, you may need to use witness statements. These documents must be filled out by someone who can testify that you are who you claim to be.

How to prepare:

Put together a set of “emergency passports” to carry with you on trips.
The contents of this kit may vary depending on the countries you visit, but below is a list of what you will need wherever you are.
biometric photo
An ID with your ID number on it
If you have given fingerprints, proof of this or having your fingerprints taken again
Document proving that you have paid your passport fee

One of the most important details we can tell you is to carry a photocopy of your passport in a different place than where you carry the original (you can even carry it as a PDF on your mobile phone). Trust us, if you save yourself the headache of trying to replace your passport when it's lost, you'll be thankful for your smart move.

Hijacked Planes

lost passport

Your flight may be delayed for hours, but they will neither give you an apology nor a discount, which is quite unfair. But if you wanted to get on three minutes after the doors closed, the same opportunities would not be offered and you would be ruined, so to speak.

If you always arrive at the airport three hours before your flight and you think that people who arrive at the last minute always miss the flight, you are wrong, it can happen to you too. Stormy weather and security issues beyond your control can ruin even perfectly planned trips.

What to do:

Did your plane take off without you? Go to your airline's reception immediately. There is a possibility that you may be put on the next flight. Whether you miss the flight and whether you will pay an additional fee when you are taken to the next flight may vary depending on the reason why you missed the flight and which airline you use. If there are no other flights or the next flight is full, try the next day or ask if there is a company providing flights from partner organizations.

If your airline refuses to provide another flight, be prepared to make a second payment . Some passengers who miss their flight may have to pay full price for a new ticket, and the prices increase considerably when the flight is the next day or the same day. Consider this a warning to always arrive at your flight with the necessary time frame, especially on holidays.

If you missed a connecting flight and checked your luggage on the previous flight, it will probably go to its destination without you, meaning your luggage has already started your vacation while you are stuck at the second airport. Go to your airline's desk and ask if they can locate your luggage. Maybe the company can accommodate your luggage until you reach your destination. This is just one of the reasons why you should pack a few spare clothes in your personal bag (in case of lost luggage or spilled coffee on yourself).

How to prepare:

Arrive at the airport early! Check the recommended arrival times on your airline's website, as some airlines may have longer check-in and security check lines than others. If you want to be especially careful, check other airlines flying to your destination on the same day. Make a note of flight numbers so you know your alternatives if your flight leaves without you.
Travel insurance is also an additional security step in some cases, especially in cases of missed flights. It does not cover the flight you missed because you forgot to set your alarm, but it will cover the flight you missed due to reasons such as illness, natural disaster or car accident.

lost luggage

Lost Luggage

Here comes your luggage, which moves forward as if your belongings are passing through a conveyor one by one at the supermarket checkout.
But where is yours? You can't find it even though you covered it with fluorescent orange tape so you can easily spot it. The next passenger takes the last baggage from the conveyor and you realize that the airline has lost your luggage.

What to do:

Make sure you have your baggage claim paper. I learned this the hard way. When I arrived in Dublin, the only thing I learned was that not only did the airline lose my luggage, they also lost the document stating that I had delivered the luggage!
We eventually recovered our bags (thanks to the helpful airport staff), but the inconvenience they caused us was considerable and we spent a lot of unnecessary time at the airport without documentation.

Your airline probably has an office near the baggage claim lanes , so go there immediately and fill out the lost baggage form. If you're lucky, your luggage is simply delayed or placed on the wrong plane and will be sent to your hotel within a few days. If your luggage is lost and the company cannot recover the situation, you can fill out a petition for the damage they caused. In this case, you need to list everything in your luggage. They will be found in return for a price equivalent to the items in your luggage, they will not replace them. This means that your 2-year-old shoes worth 200 lira are no longer worth 200 lira.

How to prepare:

To prevent your luggage from being lost, remove (as much as you can) any excess labels that could be confused by scanning machines. Also, do not put anything valuable or necessary in your checked luggage , and as mentioned above, put a few spare clothes in the bag you brought with you. Make sure that your name and address are clearly written on each piece of luggage, and place a label inside in case this label on the outside is lost or erased. Most importantly, take good care of your baggage claim!

Illness or Injury While on the Road

Seeking healthcare abroad can be an exercise in culture shock . Whether you're being cared for by a doctor who doesn't speak a common language or you don't understand the instructions he's giving you, being sick away from the comfort of your home can be a frightening experience. The best thing you can do if you get sick or injured is to be prepared before you hit the road . Before your trip, it is very important to learn the location of English-speaking doctors and hospitals, emergency numbers, and the number and address of the embassy in the country you are visiting.

What to do:

If you become sick or injured, contact a healthcare provider as soon as possible. If you run out of any vital medication, contact your regular doctor who can write a prescription for you to obtain from a local doctor. If you are at a hotel and have a non-urgent situation, contact the front desk. The roommaster can contact a doctor to come to the hotel on your behalf. To get medical care from the hospital , take a taxi to the hospital (your hotel may be able to help if you haven't inquired about this in time) or dial the local emergency number, this information should be in your guidebook.

If you are traveling with children , have an ongoing illness or are traveling with someone who does, or are going to participate in hazardous physical activities such as horseback riding, you should be prepared for any health emergencies. You should also be especially prepared if you are going to spend time in a less developed place (the traveler's stomach) or if you are going camping.

How to prepare:

sickness on the road

If you are going abroad , you can get information about the necessary doctors and hospitals from the embassy websites of the countries you visit. If you are traveling domestically , you can also contact your insurance company for the doctors and contracted institutions in your destination.
Take note of the information we have listed and carry it with you:

Your doctor's office and home/cell phone numbers
Your insurance company's contact information
Embassy contact information
Contact information for a relative or relative from home, especially if you are traveling alone
Remember that there may be a risk of disease in the place you are traveling to, and make sure you have the necessary vaccinations before you set off.
If you are going camping or going to a remote area, prepare a first aid kit . Also, leave a plan of your trip with someone at home so they know where to look for you if anything happens to you.
Ultimately, even if your travel insurance covers medical evacuations, it may be quite expensive for them to send you to your country of citizenship because they cannot undertake your treatment from the place you are traveling to.

Çağdaş KIROĞLU
22 September 2023
Paylaş :

Submit Comment